不完美，也美

"Hey Jessica， do you live around here？" a girls voice called.

I looked up to see Sarita jogging across the grass toward me. I had never seen her in my neighborhood， only at school. And I never really talked with her much there， because， to me， Sarita is perfect with a capital P. She gets the best grades in the class， is the best at almost every sport， and everyone is always clustered1） around her. I assumed she wouldnt want to bother with me. Im perfectly average2）， with a lower-case3） letter a.

I turned back to helping my brother Matthew dig in the sand just as Sarita reached us， but I did answer her question. "Yes. We live next door."

"I wish I lived next to a park，" Sarita said.

"Its great，" I agreed. "Except when people have noisy parties on late summer evenings. Then its hard to sleep."

"Lyde， Essa， lyde，" Matthew suddenly said， flinging4） his shovel aside.

"He wants to go on the slide，" I explained to Sarita as I hoisted5） Matthew onto my hip.

“嗨，杰茜卡，你住在這附近？”一個(gè)女孩的聲音喊道。

我抬起頭來，看見薩麗塔正穿過草坪慢慢地朝我跑過來。我從未在我家附近見過她，只在學(xué)校里見過。在學(xué)校我也從來沒有正兒八經(jīng)地和她說過多少話，因?yàn)椋谖铱磥?，薩麗塔是完美的，完美到不能再完美。她的學(xué)習(xí)成績是班里最好的，而且?guī)缀趺恳豁?xiàng)體育運(yùn)動都玩得很棒，所以大家總是簇?fù)碓谒闹車?。我猜想她是不會愿意費(fèi)工夫來搭理我的。我是那么的普通，普通到不能再普通。

就在薩麗塔來到我們身邊時(shí)，我轉(zhuǎn)過身去幫我弟弟馬修一起挖沙子，不過我還是回答了她的問題。“是的，我們住隔壁?！?/p>

“真希望自己住在公園旁邊。”薩麗塔說。

“住公園旁是不錯(cuò)，”我贊同道，“只要夏天人們不要在晚上很晚的時(shí)候還在公園里開那種鬧哄哄的派對。要是這樣的話，就會吵得人難以入睡?！?/p>

“梯，茜，梯。”馬修突然說道，還把他的鐵鏟猛地扔到一邊。

“他想去玩滑梯?！蔽乙贿吅退_麗塔解釋，一邊把馬修抱起來。

“有個(gè)小弟弟肯定很好玩。”薩麗塔說。

“他是很好玩，”我沒有否認(rèn)，“不過我經(jīng)常得看著他。這會兒我爸媽正在粉刷廚房呢?！?/p>

薩麗塔跟著我們來到了滑梯旁。我把馬修放在滑梯頂部，然后牽著他的手讓他滑下來。

“千，茜，千?！瘪R修說。

“現(xiàn)在他想要蕩秋千?！蔽腋嬖V薩麗塔。

“他是在叫你茜嗎？”薩麗塔猜測道。

“那是他給我起的名字。”我說。

薩麗塔大笑了起來?！疤蓯哿恕！边@時(shí)她的口袋嗡嗡作響，接著她從口袋里掏出了一部手機(jī)?！拔?？”她接通了電話，然后沒說話，只是聽著?！笆堑?，羅莎，在走廊的衣柜里。”

“我姐姐，”薩麗塔一邊解釋一邊把手機(jī)塞回口袋里，“她想借我的一件運(yùn)動衫?！?/p>

有個(gè)姐姐和你換穿衣服肯定很有意思，我心想。但我大聲說出來的卻是滿腦子想的那件事?！澳阏嫘疫\(yùn)，薩麗塔。我多希望有部手機(jī)啊?！?/p>

薩麗塔聳了聳肩。“我只可以用這部手機(jī)和我的家人通話。”她解釋道。

在我把馬修的兩條腿從兒童秋千座椅上的兩個(gè)小洞里穿過去時(shí)，他反復(fù)大喊道：“我飛，我飛，茜！”

“我會把你推得高高的，馬修?！蔽乙贿呁浦锴б贿呄蛩ＷC。

薩麗塔站在秋千旁看著我們。我不知道她為什么在這兒閑蕩。她肯定有一大堆刺激的事情可以和她那些朋友一起做。

“我能推他嗎？”薩麗塔突然問。

“當(dāng)然，”我回答說，“我推一會兒胳膊就會累?！?/p>

薩麗塔和我輪流推著秋千，馬修則一遍又一遍地大喊：“我飛！”我這個(gè)小弟弟可以一直這么蕩下去。

“我姐姐以前也推著我蕩秋千，”薩麗塔說，“現(xiàn)在她整天就知道找我借東西。有時(shí)候我真希望不用和她住在一個(gè)房間里?！?/p>

我很高興我有屬于自己的房間，我心想?！暗掖蛸€她也和你分享她的東西吧?！蔽艺f。

“幸好她買了很多書，”薩麗塔回答說，“大部分都是懸疑小說，正好是我喜歡讀的。所以我可以從她那兒借書?！?/p>

“懸疑小說也是我最喜歡讀的書。”我說。

“真的嗎，杰茜卡？我從來不知道你也有這個(gè)愛好，”薩麗塔沖我微微一笑，“我只要一有時(shí)間就讀，在我干完家務(wù)活以后。”

“你得干什么樣的家務(wù)活??？”我問。我從未想象過薩麗塔除了玩樂還要做其他事情。

“哦，拖地，還有倒垃圾，”薩麗塔回答說，“羅莎和我還輪流洗碗和洗衣服?！?/p>

哇，我心想。所有這些事情我都不用做。我只要保持自己房間干凈，還有就是看著馬修就行。

“我爸媽工作真的很忙?！彼_麗塔解釋道。

薩麗塔和我一邊聊著天一邊輪流推秋千。直到馬修大喊“停，停！”的時(shí)候，我才抓住秋千讓它停下來，我?guī)缀醵纪浟怂悄莻€(gè)完美到不能再完美的薩麗塔。我想，或許沒有人，也沒有人的生活是完美的。薩麗塔在生活中也會有一些不盡如人意的事情，正如我一樣。我們在其他一些事情上也有一樣的地方。

“薩麗塔，你在這兒逗留之前是打算去哪兒嗎？”我問道，順便把馬修從秋千上抱下來。

“沒有，我就是出來散個(gè)步，”薩麗塔回答，“我沒有地方要去?！?/p>

我抱著馬修，眼睛瞟了一眼我家?！拔覀冊摶丶伊?。”我告訴薩麗塔。接著，我決定冒險(xiǎn)一試。為什么不呢？“我爸媽要訂比薩，因?yàn)樗麄円徽於荚诜鬯?。我們會要很多。想不想來我家吃晚飯？?/p>

“當(dāng)然想啊，”薩麗塔回答，“我要給我爸爸打個(gè)電話。”她掏出手機(jī)，撥了個(gè)電話號碼?！鞍职?，我朋友杰茜卡邀請我去她家吃晚飯。我能去嗎？”

我聽出了那個(gè)詞，amiga。那是“朋友”的意思。聽到那個(gè)詞，我笑了。是“朋友”，沒錯(cuò)。

"It must be fun to have a little brother，" Sarita said.

"He is fun，" I agreed. "I have to watch him a lot， though. Right now my parents are painting the kitchen."

Sarita followed us to the slide. I placed Matthew on top and held his hands as he slid down.

"Ing， Essa， ing，" Matthew said.

"Now he wants to swing，" I told Sarita.

"Is he calling you Essa？" Sarita guessed.

"Thats his name for me，" I said.

Sarita laughed. "Thats cute." Then her pocket buzzed6）， and she pulled out a cell phone. "？Hola？" she answered， then paused to listen. "Sí， Rosa， lo está en el armario del pasillo."

"My sister，" Sarita explained as she slid the phone back into her pocket. "She wanted to borrow one of my sweaters."

It must be fun to have a sister to share clothes with， I thought. But out loud7）， I mentioned the main thing on my mind. "Youre lucky， Sarita. I wish I had a cell phone."

Sarita shrugged. "Im only allowed to use it to talk to my family，" she explained.

As I slipped Matthews legs through the holes in the toddler8） swing， he chanted9）， "I me， I me， Essa！"

"Ill push you high， Matthew，" I assured him as I pushed the swing.

Sarita stood next to the swings， watching us. Why is she hanging around here， I wondered. She must have a million exciting things to do with all her friends.

"Can I push him？" Sarita suddenly asked.

"Sure，" I replied. "My arms get tired after a while."

Sarita and I took turns pushing while Matthew called out "I me！" over and over. My little brother could swing forever.

"My sister used to push me on swings，" Sarita said. "Now she just borrows my stuff all the time. Sometimes I wish I didnt have to share a room with her."

Im glad I have my own room， I thought. "But Ill bet she shares her stuff with you， too，" I said.

"Luckily she buys lots of books，" Sarita replied. "Mysteries， mostly， just what I like to read. So I can borrow them from her."

"Mysteries are my favorite books， too，" I said.

"Really， Jessica？ I never knew that about you." Sarita smiled at me. "I read whenever I have time， after my chores."

"What kind of chores do you have to do？" I asked. I had never imagined Sarita doing anything but fun stuff.

"Oh， mop the floors and take out the trash，" Sarita answered. "And Rosa and I switch off with the dishes and laundry."

Wow， I thought. I dont have to do all that. I just keep my room clean and watch Matthew.

"My parents are really busy with work，" Sarita explained.

Sarita and I kept talking while we kept taking turns pushing. By the time Matthew called out， "Top， top！" and I grabbed the swing to stop it， I had almost forgotten about Sarita being perfect with a capital P. Maybe nobody， and nobodys life， is perfect， I thought. Sarita has a few less-than-perfect things in her life， just like I do. And we have a few other things in common， too.

"Sarita， werent you going somewhere when you stopped here？" I asked as I pulled Matthew from the swing.

"No， I was just taking a walk，" Sarita answered. "I didnt have anywhere to go."

Holding Matthew， I glanced at my house. "Its time for us to go home，" I told Sarita. And then I decided to take a chance10）. Why not？ "My parents are ordering pizza because theyve been painting all day. Well have plenty. Want to come over for dinner？"

"Id like that，" Sarita answered. "Ill call my dad." She pulled out her phone and dialed. "Papá， mi amiga Jessica me invitó a su casa para la cena. Puedo ir？"

I recognized that word， amiga. Friend. That made me smile. Friend with a capital F， that is.